Pallab Bose, circle secretary of the All India Retired BSNL Executive Welfare Association (UP-East), says that BSNL pensioners staged a protest across the country on Tuesday. This will continue on Wednesday as well. The two-day sit-in demonstration was called on the pension issue. He said that when BSNL was carved out of the Department of Telecom (DoT), there was an employee contract with the government. Under this, it was decided that the BSNL / MTNL employees who have opted for the Government Pension Scheme will get all the benefits on the lines of Central Employees. Means the central government will give the pension.
Why pensioners are protesting?
According to Pallab Bose, the pension of BSNL employees is being received from the Central Government through CCA. Medical facility is also available through CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme). In 2017, the 7th Central Pay Commission came. It is another matter that the salaries of BSNL/MTNL employees were not revised in that. The government’s stand was – Since the pay revision of BSNL employees is not happening. Therefore, pensioners will also not be affected. The thing is that when all the rules of the Central Government apply to these employees, then why their pension is not being revised as per the 7th Pay Commission.
Bose says that the government repeatedly says that BSNL is running at a loss. Therefore, pension cannot be revised. While the truth is that the employees who went from DOT to BSNL under the agreement have nothing to do with the loss and profit of the government company. They are to be given all the benefits on the lines of central employees. This is what is being demonstrated.

The government has been misleading
According to Bose, the government has been complicit in this whole matter. The last meeting regarding this was held on 17 October 2022. In the meeting, the DOT secretary listened to the demands of the employees and accepted them. In this, it was assured to send all the demands to the Department of Expenditure (DoE). The demand of the employees was that when they are not interested in BSNL, then they should be delinked from it. An order in this regard was also asked to be issued. From there the ruckus had to end. There was an agreement for that too. The Union Communications Minister had also asked to submit a report on the matter. The employees were told that the report had been sent. There is no response from the Ministry. It was later learned that the entire report had been sent in reverse. It said that neither the 7th Pay Commission can be given to these employees, nor can they be delinked. After this the decision of siege was taken.
Former Deputy General Manager (Finance) Rakesh Kumar told that in this whole matter, a mistake was kept. Employees were told something and something was done. The decision to hold a nationwide protest on January 17-18 was taken keeping these things in mind. The agreement signed with the employees when BSNL was formed in the year 2000 is being forgotten. The issue of pension revision is pending since January 1, 2017. If these demands are not accepted, further gherao of Sanchar Bhavan will be done. A memorandum has been submitted to the Secretary (DOT) in this regard. It has also been mentioned that the department has not even sent a proposal to the Pension Department and the nodal agency for consideration of the issue.
Source: navbharattimes.indiatimes.com
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